Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka

TELEPHONE CONVERSATION
Wole Soyinka

The price seemed reasonable, location
Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived
Off premises. Nothing remained
But self-confession. 'Madam,' I warned,
'I hate a wasted journey - I am African.'
Silence. Silenced transmission of
Pressurized good-breeding. Voice, when it came,
Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled
Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was, foully.
'HOW DARK?' . . . I had not misheard. . . . 'ARE YOU LIGHT
OR VERY DARK?' Button B. Button A. Stench
Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.
Red booth. Red pillar-box. Red double-tiered
Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed
By ill-mannered silence, surrender
Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification.
Considerate she was, varying the emphasis -
'ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?' Revelation came.
'You mean - like plain or milk chocolate?'
Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light
Impersonality. Rapidly, wave-length adjusted,
I chose. 'West African sepia' - and as afterthought,
'Down in my passport.' Silence for spectroscopic
Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent
Hard on the mouthpiece. 'WHAT'S THAT?' conceding
'DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.' 'Like brunette.'
'THAT'S DARK, ISN'T IT?' 'Not altogether.
Facially, I am brunette, but madam, you should see
The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet
Are a peroxide blonde. Friction, caused -
Foolishly madam - by sitting down, has turned
My bottom raven black - One moment madam!' - sensing
Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap
About my ears - 'Madam,' I pleaded, 'wouldn't you rather
See for yourself?'

Q1. This poem is full of colours not just that of skin, what do you think these colours signify?

In line 13, the poet uses the words red three times. Red booth. Red pillar-box. Red double-tiered omnibus squelching tar. This is used to signify the persona's anger. He was infuriated when the landlady had begun to insult him for his race. In the lines 10-17, he feels sore that the landlady has begun to insult him; he knows that she really is trying to hurt him. However, this man is not a savage brute like all people think Africans are.

Q2. What does the dialogue in this poem reveal about these two characters?

The landlady may be rich but she has a racist mindset of blacks. She does not think that blacks can actually be successful and smart people. The poem reveals the man, to be witty, analytical and quite unlike the stereotype. He manages to defend himself and the landlady shrinks in fear.

Q3. Who wins in the end?

The man won in the end. He used his wit and sarcasm to show the landlady that being black wasn't anything to be ashamed of, and that racism was ridiculous.